Hope
The year is about to end with so much tears and fears.
Nevertheless, there is still so much to look forward to and thank God for.

Charbie's cradle

This was taken the night before Chai's 1st Sunday of Bar exam but you see, while we were enjoying the fotosession, she's at her desk studying :)
Missing in the pic and all, she's now home and enjoying a stress-free life.
Whats up chai?:)

HELLO!!!
Beachbum, how have you been? I’ve been seeing you in everyone’s spot but yours.
Winespirits, I think something is missing in the picture. Thanks by the way for the USB --- small gadget, big possibilities.
Fortywinks, how’s the burppday? Did the heart burp too? wink wink :)
Hideandseek, I’m recommending (1) the incredibles (2) Benjamin Hoff’s pooh series (3) and nickelcreek
Knickknacks, still there? A 30-day polyphonic fone experience is something. Thanks!
Poisonivy, I think your fool part 1 already gives hope in itself, remember your last line? well with part 2…can hardly wait!

happy burpday fortywinks!

wish you an exciting (awwoooo! kidding :p) and gastronomically delightful day!

I’ll be home for Christmas …
for 16 days!
who would have thought that this company gives the most wonderful, priceless perk?
a shutdown from dec 17 to jan 3 ---- wow, exhiliratingly good news!
now to my shoelaces, i guess that would make me chair of this year's meri kidsmas.
take a break, knicknacks.

thanks to blogger. getting into the minds of my friends is just one click away. hi knickknacks!

How does it feel to have a friend who’s a priest?
Heavenly.
The shoelaces invaded San Jose seminary and Fr Nono graciously allowed the invasion. He prepared a sumptuous meal for us --- inihaw na isda, seaweeds, chicken curry, mixed veggies with crabmeat, is this a feast or what?
Then he ushered us to their entertainment room, we had videoke all to ourselves and up to sawa -- with popcorn and yes, red wine on the side (or is it the other way around?) Anyway, as if lunch was not enough, Fr Nono sent in another round of meal --- bihon guisado, cassava cake, and cuchinta.
Ok, we were starved. We asked Fr Nono when he’s going to Naga and he asked,
“Why? Are you going to treat me out?”
“No, father, so we know when to hide from you, paano ba naming mapapantayan ang lahat ng ito?”
With a smile and with a sigh.

Advanced happy burppday d!
Forgive me if I have to get in the way of your traditional gimik with friends.
I promise my company wouldn’t be all that bad.

g-o-o-d n-e-w-s
Saturday’s midterms was postponed by my-now-favorite professor. I asked friends to pray for it and it must be too loud that He decided to listen to it anyway.
You are the best Lord thanks thanks!

Capricorn Daily Horoscope
by Astrology.com

Much as you'll try to concentrate on work, it won't be easy; in fact, it may be impossible. A certain tender promise you've either offered or recently accepted will be all you can think about.

the stars sometimes do know how you are.. wish they can do something about it too..

Hands On Manila, have you heard of it?
my first time to hear it yesterday sunday. they celebrated their 3rd anniv of VIP 2004. VIP stands for volunteer in person. And that day at NBC tent, volunteers, young and old had to forego usual lazy Sundays just to spend time with the less fortunate kids. I managed to get up with much effort though and when I got there, how well worth it was! No wonder peppermint patty who like I was, barely slept the night before, was wide awake and energized playing with the kids. And scoutfinch too, who didn’t mind traveling back all the way from Alabang again on a Sunday morn -- I found her lining up for an ice cream with the kids. There were all sorts of ‘playground stuffs’, ice cream, games and lotsa prizes, drawing stuffs --- the kids were having the time of their lives.
Thanks again peppermint patty and scoutfinch. its always great being part of something bigger than yourself.

for the spotty in the soul and wrinkled in the heart ...

If all else fails, what will make you stay with a company?
lifetime friendships.


michelle's despedida, july 2004

Change of heart
This was taken thru a Samsung P400 cell a few days before it got lost. Two weeks after, it was returned.

the best things in life are free.
thanks to you for making great things possible. you simply are amazing.

my first attempt at photoblogging
lets see if this works..




bag of beans, tagaytay september 2004
(taken by papparazzi geerhap)

See you again soon
Mcdo breakfast and walking to school seemed less ordinary last weekend coz d was with me. We were on the way to the ‘highlands’ and guess who we bumped into, rhap and her gee. Hehe. Got there at 630p, searched for the inn that tinsky recommended and armed with so vague clues only found it after one hour. It was well worth it tinksy, thanks and by the way its called Country Sampler Inn :)
Breakfast at 9am was a treat, try bag of beans, it’s a coffee shop that specializes in pies. Choose the al fresco side where you’ll enjoy the garden ambience and meet a monkey, a parrot and fishes of sorties. Gee enjoyed taking pics of the leaves and the petals, Rhap enjoyed watching him. I enjoyed my bottomless brewed coffee and d quietly enjoyed my company hehe
At 2p, we were off to Royal Taal Inn – the newest hotel overlooking Taal Volcano. From our room, you could already enjoy the view of the lake – wow! Then they have a roof deck, where you can see Taal better and where you can dine in and just rest and lie down and enjoy the view—breathtaking!
The whole time, d and I just ate and had coffee, had pastilla desserts and ate again – small wonder I’m gaining weight and so is he.
Dinnertime we had to buy food outside coz expectedly hotel food is pricey. Dinner by the porch on a rainy evening with pork barbecue, bulalo and kangkong with adobo was simply perfect. Can I freeze this time and moment?
We were up at 530 in the morning and sitting by the porch, the view was awesome and the morning air was freezy cold. I happily gave in to d’s warm hugs.
Starving, we had to call for Chowking delivery. This time breakfast was at the roofdeck - with tapa, Chinese ham, sausage and coffee. D was kind as usual – he forgave me for missing his extra rice.
Lunch back at the porch and what will be our last meal at the place was FILLING. But we finished it anyway coz we didn’t want to be starved for our trip back to Manila.
We had our dinner before he left for the terminal – pork barbecue and grilled liver and three cups of rice. You see, our relationship is based on foods – started the weekend with Mcdo breakfast and ended with Parilya dinner – it’s a healthy, fat-filled kind of relationship hehe
I remembered bargaining to Him that time would stop for awhile but there, I didn’t have to – the weekend was wonderful, much more than I imagined. I’ll see you again soon, my d.

“…you mess up sometimes but your heart is in the right place”
“oh yeah”
“when its right next to me, its in the right place”
(Spur of a moment – scanned in the powerbooks shelves last Saturday)

Mcdo at the Caltex station along South Express Hi-way, accdg to a tv show is the most modern Mcdo outlet
we checked it out yesterday on me and my boss' way back to the office after a client meeting. was expecting robot waiters and the like -- nothing of that.
so much for expectations.

Thanks to blogs, i get to read thru the "extraordinary" of everyday lives. say how fun it is to be with mom on an ordinary lazy day. hehe

Buscom Professor on the course syllabus:
In this oral presentations, you'll be having a lot of fun, coz you'll be making fun of yourselves...

looking forward.. :)

i just had my first day of class for MANPRI. i esp admire our prof, he's retired recently from a big cement company. 2 yrs ago, he got really sick and prayed that if he would recover, he will stop working and pursue something meaningful. HE did. now he's teaching.
life do give second chances...

guess-the-blogsite.com with net
sabi ni net, she can't tell me her blogsite daw, i might laugh .
iminlovewithsteveforever.com?
marriedtosteve.com
steveandjeanette.com?
on all three, nope, she said. basta nakakahiya daw..
sige na nga one more try
sexyjeanette.com ?
hmmm...

i dont mind monday coming, and then tuesday, then wednesday, thursday, friday and saturday... coz d is coming! absence do makes the heart grow fonder..
i hope the day stops after that , pwede kaya Lord?:)

Looking at my payslip always depresses me, it makes me realize that I work not only for the company that I’m with, but for the government too!!!
Taxes – and you wonder where they go! (Sigh!)

Buti pa si juls, she’s spared with all these. On top of that, the economy’s depressing state (i.e. peso sliding) is working to her favor coz she’s paid in dollars. At hindi lang yan, she’s beset with a nice problem now, she’s being asked to choose between dumaguete and palawan for a work-related trip. Hay buti ka pa juls, pasalubong na lang jan puhleez.. :)

COLORS
net and i were in the mall yest night and we saw Phoem B, the extra challenge host. she was pretty and COLORFUL. she had colorful streaks on her hair and was donned in a rainbow-colored skirt and tops and an equally colorful scarf thingy.
n becoz of this deluge of colors, we were tempted to check our outfits too. net was in black and white, i was in black and brown. earth colors -- what a contrast!
ok lang, sabi ni net, makulay naman ang buhay namin, so we dont have to flaunt it all out.
AGREE! :)

bleeding
sabi ng boss ko, i could save while she's away. you see, she's my default lunchmate and we usually eat out and not just eat out. we go to pricey restos. kaya nagb-bleed na ang wallet ko. to my mind i said, sure i can save, but where's the money to save now? (sigh!)

hanging on
When you’re broke, two things happen:
1. you eat less, so you slim down a bit (I wish!)
2. you get to go home early (coz the only place that’s free to go to is home)
But out there, these things happen too (oh no!)
1. midnight sale
2. good movies to see
3. cravings of your heart
No, I’m canceling one out pra offset lang sya. Neither happy nor sad. Well, this is a this-too-shall-pass kind of thing so I’m hanging on

… till the next payday (yiheee!)

d 10 o'clock club
chai,the 10 o'clock club is rallying behind you in prayers.. just one month and we'll paint the town R-E-D and drink all the champagne that we want.
God bless!

when it rains it pours they say. at work, i had to double my pace coz alot of stuffs were due and in school, it was finals week. i had to review for 2 exams and finish a paper.. of corz the crammer that i am, i could not blame anyone or anything but myself. hay, buti na lang the weather worked in my favor, classes were suspended. i have more time to 'cram' and less time to worry. thanks po Lord.

its only been 3 weeks, but i feel that i've been here for so long already. its not a case of boredom. its a case of too many things happening in so short a time. i've been late for 3 times already. been reprimanded by boss. got in trouble with client for errors. worked overtime till 1am. met 4 big clients.
and they say ive only seen the tip of the iceberg..?
oh, ok im bracing myself for more :)

i have this strong feeling that SAB will soon be non-existent if only for the fact that the S part will no longer hold true, not the friendship of corz! (without necessarily pre-empting) guys are coming in droves...go get 'em sisses! :)

lets play texttwist. the word is jomarlon. find joman, marlon, and omar.
these three guys are all in the team im with, even names are made in the spirit of teamwork :)

spare me with my colds, please. wala na akong sense of smell for the past 6 days. i was all too excited to try this cologne my boss referred to me and yes i bought it without (ironically) knowing how it smells hehe. well, unti-unti ko na syang naaamoy . i cant wait to get rid of this colds and smell all.

friday nite at xaymaca is reggaely fun. i did go, lightheaded and with terrible colds.
well, the girls just wanna have fun :)
and tama, nasa huli parati ang pagsisisi. on sat morn, i was suffering from not just terrible colds and endless sneezing but also from 'amnesiac' hehe i left my eyeglasses at xaymaca. good thing, an honest waiter handed over the pair to their manager . so on sat nite, together with stirofechoes (who always turn up when needed thanks!) we were back at xaymaca. this is the first time, i got my eyeglasses back after leavin it somewhere . ewan ko ba, pero in the past, parati ko syang hindi na nakukuha and with a grade of 250, how attractive can that be.
so if only for that, i have no regrets goin to xaymaca.

i've seen 4 movies in 4 days. i,robot and catwoman, on friday with heartonsleeve. ella enchanted, on saturday with stirofechoes. and imelda, on monday with winespirits.

no wonder, ive been hearing this song on my head "i love you more today than yesterday..."

On my first day at work, may nag-erupt na pimple right on my nose. Then coming to school the next day, a classmate of mine remarked (without necessarily referring to the pimple) blooming daw ako. Baka na-love at first sight ako sa work. Good sign, is it?

Ok so I will miss
the sub-urban setting
the bumpy ride to the green fields
green building and green rooftops
the opm songs
that gets bearable by the day
the mushy songs
that melts the heart anyway
the pocket-friendly meals
that tastes just right
if you only half-expected them to
walking strictly on pedestrian lanes
eating only at the pantry
on pantry times
when there’s pantry food around
finally the cast
who’s a bunch of colorful personas
makukulit
and smart
makukulit
and mahilig sa music
makukulit
and fun-loving
and makukulit pa rin.
at least for 8 months, ako’y naging isang..
“bagong Pilipino – maka- Pilipino”  
paalam, sa ating muling pagkikita
:)

all the warmth that the world has is in the home. no place else.. :)

simple things by jim brickman
Hey, time won't wait
Life goes by
Every day's a brand new sky
Every tear Comes to dry
All that really matters in this crazy world
Is you and I together, baby
Just remember
The first leaves off the tree
The way you look at me
A thousand chiming church bells ring
The simple things are free
The sun, the moon, the stars
The beating of two hearts
How I love the simple things
The simple things just are
So here we go
Let's just dance
Teach my soul to take this chance
Put my heart
In your hands
Out of all the moments
That we leave behind
Turn around and tell me baby
We'll remember
The thunder and the rain
The way you say my name
After all the clouds go by
The simple things remain
The sun, the moon, the stars
The beating of two hearts
How I love the simple things
The simple things just are
Oh, the ocean and the sky
The way we feel tonight
I know that it's the love that brings
The simple things to life
The sun, the moon, the stars
The beating of two hearts
I love the way the simple things
The simple things just are
I love the way the simple things
The simple things just are
to thee, my d :)

the looney chunes sisterhood
There are cartoon characters named looney tunes, then there are girls called looney chunes. Yup welcome to the looney chunes sisterhood!
Celebrating friendships in style. No fancies. Just a simple dinner for 5. take two’s for group shots. No holds barred. no censored, edited stories. so soc d beautiful had to spill it all out - doc april boy and the love that almost was but got away. And (drums rolling) the challenging chuney tunes --- practice and being-her-principal makes perfect - go jc unbreakable!
that was a friday nite, the place was astoria, no dress codes. just ourselves, a dose of hilarity and fun. no ticket passes. just the chuney skills, stories to share, an appetite to spare and loads of fun. no curfews. even jo march had to stay wide awake amidst work at 6am the next day. no sober excuses. one shot of tequila for everyone please. this time, no flexible faye force needed hehe:)
and the noble agenda? dippin dots' despedida. (ah, how time flies!) 
oh yes, the sisterhood is proud to send you away. when you're down and you're missing us, just remember and make the chunes! cheeers!!!! :)

old wardrobe

To a dear dear friend,

 

I think you’ve been wearing your weird pants lately. You seem to have wandered off into another planet where it’s just you and your so-called ‘the one’. I hope your old wardrobe is still there. I miss the old-fashioned suit and the pair of happy feet too -- they look good in you. 

 

Your old-fashioned friend

Right now, while typing this, the view on the periphery is me and my cute little angel --- can it get better than this?
So my angel, in a few days ill be seeing you. do prepare to show me your little stunts. your mama told me you can walk by yourself (so its goodbye stroller then). What about the dresses, the blouses, the shoes, do they still fit? ok, i know, im expected to get any one or all of those hehe You might wonder how and why im coming home to see you. Well, I wanted to talk to you and tell you what I just gotten into lately, don’t worry, this time I looked before I leaped. More on that when I get there. See you mwah! :)

winespirits
You seem to know the right choices, the right timing and the right places – all the time. So fasten your seatbelt, drive down the road and head to where you must be, just don’t forget to hit the brakes, when you see humps in the way.
belated happy birthday! :)

I found the most inexpensive, useful therapy right inside my house, doing the laundry. The only activity at home, that I spend the longest time doing next to sleeping --- it takes my mind off from the stress of the day and brings out the domesticated self in me :)

except the sore feet, all's well when you have a day that leaves you practically breathless. Thanks po Lord. :)

spiderman is overwhelmingly awesome!! do watch do watch! :

P.S.(post sanctum)
to michelle dippin dots, aset big heart, jc unbreakable, atty joyce ageless heart:

you give a whole new meaning to the word ‘goodbye’
yesterday’s kaisaki dinner, pasto dessert and pajama party wasn’t what usual farewells had to offer. It was instead, more dinners, more desserts, more pajama parties to look forward to, if not today maybe tomorrow… see you again soon!:)

its a bright june afternoon
it never gets dark
ohh here comes the sun
get your green, green tambourine
lets play in the park
ohh here comes the sun
:)

Sleepy Thursday and Rainy Friday

On a rainy Friday morning:
In-a-rush-me: MRT lang po manong.
I was ready to hand over my P50 bill when the figure on the taxi meter surprised me: 31.00. Only.
Enthralled me: (Manong pulling out a P20 bill as change) keep the change manong.

(sigh) I hope manong realizes soon that his taxi meter is costing him more.

On a sleepy Thursday:
So I almost got off the wrong station if not for one girl, who walked towards me, tapped me lightly on the shoulder and woke me up.
Then I almost lost my all-time favorite black shoes if not for the train’s janitor who handed it over to me.

Thanks God for random acts of kindness :)

Our constant bedfellows
Don’t you just love books and French films and friends who will lend you company to see films like these..

I still can’t get the image out of my head --- Luo seeing the ‘little seamstress’ walk away to explore the city. It’s a scene from the movie “Balzac.” Balzac is a French writer and journalist who through one of his masterpieces “Ursule Mirouet” will, in the movie change the little seamstress’ life forever.

Spanning during the Cultural Revolution where intellectual youngsters were sent to the countryside to be “re-educated”, the story revolves around Luo and Ma, two intellectual youngsters sent to one of the poorest provinces in China. Toiling very hard and adjusting to the folks’ primitive way of life, life for Luo and Ma was hard. But was made colorful when they meet “the little seamstress”, a girl from the countryside whom both Luo and Ma falls in love with. It was Luo, though who pursued the girl. Ma never told the girl that he loved her too, out of his respect for Luo but he loved her in his own simple ways with the pair of sneakers he gave her, his readings on Luo’s absence etc

As the little seamstress walks away to try her luck in the city, Luo asks what changed her and she answers him, “Balzac.” None of them knew that that was to be their last encounter. Many years after, Luo and Ma reunites, now both successful in their chosen careers and they reminisce life in the countryside including the little seamstress and Balzac..

How a book can change one’s life forever...
Oh yes, books – our constant bedfellows, patient, unyielding, powerful...

Postscript: child-meets-piolo and be-my-lady till our next popcorn date!

agree with you hide and seek on saturday nite's fete dela musique. to be one with the world and celebrate music -- the all-time natural high, is simply awesome. No amount of downpour can dampen the spirits of the dancing and singing souls, till next year! :)

young people and aging

Inside an MBA course class:
professor: Introduce yourselves please, your name, what company you work for etc…
student: Hi, I am Juanita dela Cruz (not real name) I am a full-time student right now and I’m 22 years old…

yes and so...

Welcome to Royal Mall… where everything is but royal.

May tatlong fastfood: chowking, jolibee at mcdo, dalawang escalator, broadway gems, otto shoes, spencer (this is not typo error, wala talaga syang marks) konting tiangge sa gitna at supermart sa basement. Maraming ins and outs na walang guard na maggreet ng good morning at i-inspect ng bag mo.

this is urban jungle (literally)! welcome! :)

The west lake dilemmas

When you are too hungry and the food you just ordered takes so long to be served, you can’t yell at the waiter and demand for your food or you’ll face the risk of it being subject to who-knows-what.

You cannot cancel it either and transfer to another place coz you’re too hungry to wait for another round of waiting.

When the food ends up not up to your expectations, you cannot demand for a change of order or the hunger might just gorge you up for waiting another round.

And when the food finally gets served and realize you’ve been waiting for more than you can afford, you can’t complain anyhow, coz the drink that might be served soon after may again be subject to who-knows-what.

When the bill arrives and the price just don’t seem worth it, you cannot complain coz you can’t give back what you’ve eaten.

While giving a tip is almost always de riguer, you just don’t give it, because of all the waiting and everything, how can it just be worth it?

Ahh dilemmas!

A love letter to my feet
June 20, Sunday
330p

To my dearest feet,

Even after walking you, running you especially when I’m in a rush and tripping you over at times, I have not heard you complain. Just how do you manage that? Ahh, i just cannot imagine how I would get by without you.

So today, I will pamper you. I’ll soak you in lukewarm water, let you experience that foot massage thing they show on tv. I will scrub you till all your calluses and dead skin cells go away. I will soothe you, and rub you with that flowery mint perfume they call foot scrub. I will massage you and take all those stress away. And if it tickles, that means my goal to pamper you is working..

This is your day off. For simply making life easier for me. And in case you don’t know just yet, you mean the whole world to me, grazieee!!

Lovingly,
Your whole-body-up-there :)

MAKE TIME.
Something about making time
Makes every little time so worth spending time on
So make time
It only takes awhile.

4 seasons
"So, girls, it is really possible to be 44 , on the verge of the
autumn season of one's life to still be looking at
life with a spring outlook , maybe that is the best
way to prevent the winter of my discontent.."
Oh yess its possible! It is, with an ageless heart like you! :)
the little women wish you well and wish you more beautiful memories ahead. hats off to you! :)

yahoo, you are the best!
with 100mb storage, how can i ask for more?!
yahoo!! :)

Beware of the runny nose
Meet runny nose.
He can run after you
Wherever you run and go
He hardly runs away
Once he runs into you.
You will run out of breathe
You will run out of tissue
You will run out of patience rubbing the nose with the tissue
You will run out of money buying tissue to rub the nose with
You can run a fever
It won’t run off easily
You can hardly run
And you can hardly run for work
So run for dear life
before it spreads around in town
Beware of the runny nose
Or it can catch and bring you down.

to winespirits and stirofechoes:

So dearies,
You kept me guessing
How did you manage to squeeze in
In between work and school and play
Amidst rain and caffeine
Amidst dating with the bf and schoolwork and books
The visit to the sick-me sanctuary..
Via hogwarts’ express maybe.
Big thanks! :)

to the cynics of these days:

"Eyes that hadn’t opened for days did, and they weren’t chalky or vague. They were clear and blue and full of love. If a death can be lovely, his was."
-patti davis on Reagan's last moments

I was making my first official stage appearance as a grad stude --- like every amateur, I was nervous. The eyes were like bows ready to let loose from the arrows but thanks to the element called time, the curtain was closed and I was off the stage. Quite down at the below-average performance but nonetheless glad that it’s over.
second chances --- that’s what its made for!

poetry reading
The cast and the curious on poetry reading:
they : First time mo ba?
The cast and the curious: Di ah!

That in an attempt to be cultured, well-read and among the literati :)
Have you been to a poetry reading?
Well, truth is, the cast and the curious haven't been to one.. until yesterday night :)
the moment you step into ‘Conspiracy’ on a Tuesday night, you will find yourself surrounded with at least one national artist, a horde of UP professors, students, artists, young and old, all sharing the same passion: poetry.
You can sing the poems out, simply read it, act it out etc. etc. Choose your style. To each his own..

after all its poetry.

to the boss...whose middle name is ‘passion’, I agree with you that there’s a time for everything and for now you just have to go. The sad part about leaving is that everyone is simply sad and you’re the only one who can make sense out of your leaving, but isn’t that a wonderful kind of sadness? cheeerSSSS!!! :)

After my sister’s wed on Feb 15, 2003

One of the relatives: o, di ba kayo natatakot na next na si bibi (referring to this writer) magpapakasal
My father: hindi naman, 20 years pa yan

The optimism of fathers…

Happy father's day pa!!
this daughter of yours will try to live up to your optimism -- to the best that she could =)wuvu!

from my english 100 professor..
if you can have something beautiful at the right time, at the right place with the right person, why settle for anything less?

the play called 'sanctum'

Friday night was 43’s despedida – the last to go among the little women. The rest of the little women 47, 40, and 164, in that exact order left the play called ‘sanctum’ one by one beginning June of last year. Three years back, the little women auditioned for this play and passed for what they thought was just a simple manuscript to follow. It was the best ever written and the play’s director had the genius to craft the finest in friendships.

47 didn’t make it that night. Neither did 71, who accidentally joined the league for obvious reasons --- she was charming and funny and food-loving (the single most important factor to pass)

55, and the other ex’s who came before the little women, were also there. Well, 55 was not exactly one of the little women (wink wink) but she had the heart and mind that made her no different from them, yin and yang – that’s how 153 tagged her that night. And they endlessly tossed each other with ‘saw-you-with’ anecdotes (sino na nga ba talaga?hehe)

Besides foods and drinks, the one other overwhelming company was stories, stories, stories. The promise ring between 39 and 46 was finally sealed with a marriage ring. The come-backing 45 will seal his own too very soon. And so are two other ex’s of sanctum. aww love is in the air :) Wonder when dippin dots and da man will?:)

Everyone was ribbing at 36 (43’s bf) on how he must keep his seal of loyalty while 43’s away coz the ‘double 007s’ are all over and the only safe hideaway for him is the ‘citi’. More ribbing ensued while 36 endlessly begged 43 to rub his back as they conjure up their ‘spa’ plans for the weekend.

The night was a rendezvous of memories. There’s 40 who had her share of the teasing -- she and her short-lived stint with 41, which never went beyond the trading floor (let him go, 40 hehe). there's 153 who's just happy come rain or shine. and why the ones that are never there always gets the biggest pie in the conversation? there's ex-44 and ex-71 and 59 and ex-47, etc etc

And who can stop 45 from baring his lists? The long list of codenames and blind items (stretch your imagination, pleaasssse)

By the time most of the guests have left, 36 was still begging and so 43 eventually gave in, she rubbed his back (what da love and da man combined can do, lucky da man hehe).

173 (?) has his own stories to tell too, on one evening with his other half, a bright idea lit the whole town (ting!) ---- it was possible for one to talk inwards and cough inwards ----- it may have been unnoticed, but a laughing gas probably found its way out coz everyone couldn’t stop laughing to the point of breathlessness. what will eventually be tagged as “the discovery of the century” culminated the night of stories and white wine and tequila and samba chocolates and homemade longganisa, 3 in the morning, dizzy from laughing, half-dreamy, homesick all of a sudden.

The little women’s part in the play called ‘sanctum’ was over and it did so with 43’s grand exit ----now off to find her own place under the sun.

To 43 a.k.a. dippin dots, i believe you can play the part and you can play it well.. whatever role, wherever (notre dame or cornell), the days with the little women will remain sweet and creamy and it will get even sweeter and creamier the second time around --- looking forward to our next reunion :)

parallax error

Try pointing one finger at an object that’s a few meters away from you, say a wall clock. Then cover one eye at a time. Which one focused exactly? There should only be one. If you used your finger on your right hand, the eye that gives the right focus should be the left one (that means, the right eye is shut) and vice versa
What explains this? its something called parallax error – an optical illusion of some sort.

My grad school prof who seems to know a little of so many things told us this including the fact that employment at IRRI (dedicated to irrigation research, among other things) pays well (surprising for a government agency).

TGIF and the cast

Sitting-under-the-sun left after lunch, no clues as to why. she's smiling nowadays..no clues either. The muse is looking not so busy these days --- that’s news, news, news! So is child-meets-piolo, no room for panic right now and she’s happy with her CDs and flosssss! human-breathing-songs is the opposite of the muse, no song heard from her in the last few hours and the guy-in-striped shirt has been waiting for the same number of hours human-breathing-songs has been quiet – spell b-u-s-y. in spite of that, how can this day go wrong when mr. right just gave her a ring? Wink, wink :)

There’s no telling what’s instore for everyone tonite --- Friday. Still TGIF! hapi weekend! ;)

Griffin and Sabine

Have you come across this book?
If not, do read.
It’s a mysterious love story between two people who have not seen each other but have fallen deeply in love and only through postcards.
Its pricey so I ended up reading it right there at Powerbooks.
Some things you can have for free. hehe

birthdays! birthdays!

To the first would-be bride in the group and the least “techie” of us all (who may not see this anyway hehe), blowinbubbles, is this year’s birthday your last before the big day’?

To poisonivy, you made the right choice in coming back, there is no better place to celebrate birthdays than right here --- your home… where you have friends you can easily invite over for a treat hehe

To knickknacks who makes friendships worth fighting for, since when did you think manila is just a downtown-distance away from naga hehe
see you again this weekend!

Happy birthday to you all !!! wish you more of the good things in life =)

me, my aging and 1st day of school

These past few days, I’ve been doing a presentation on market trends and interestingly, there is a market waiting to be tapped among those age 50 and above. There is an aging population ready to spend just to look young and feel good.

Yesterday, Wednesday while I rested my fingertips on the keyboard, it dawned on me that the other day, Tuesday was supposedly my 1st day of school. I just missed it.
All these stuff about aging...

so anyway, about me, aging and going to school, i feel that i have to go to school now or I may soon forget and they say that the learning curve becomes less steeper as you get old. now i do not know how to reconcile that with me forgetting so soon when im still not too old.. i would like to believe that, that particular 'forgetting moment' was the exception, just that and not me the person hehe!

no more slots open for rcbc

pilit akong inilalayo ng tadhana sa makati
maging sa hanapbuhay o sa eskwela..

subject: no entry no id 101
heartonsleeve, who accompanied me to enroll in what so happens to be her dear alma mater wasn’t allowed entry becoz she had no id. So she had to wait for me for about an hour and a half in the gate while i desperately had to juggle my way thru the campus, the campus was small but every door and hallway looks the same – a labyrinth!
Heartonsleeve, says she didn’t mind waiting coz the sight was ‘good’:)
nevertheless, grazie!!!
You deserve someone more than just a ‘drummer looking for bandmates’! oh,but if he turns out to be somebody, looking for something more, you may want to consider :)

I couldn’t hold it up any longer, so I gobbled down on it while strolling in the mall (so much for etiquette hehe). Flosssss! its one of breadtalk’s bestsellers. Located in g4 where Pazzo used to be, Breadtalk is the newest talk of the town –(to borrow fortywink’s term) delicioso!

up on the roof
When this old world starts getting me down
And people are just too much for me to face
I climb way up to the top of the stairs
And all my cares just drift right into space
On the roof, it's peaceful as can be
And there the world below can't bother me
Let me tell you now

When I come home feelin' tired and beat
I go up where the air is fresh and sweet
I get away from the hustling crowd
And all that rat-race noise down in the street
On the roof, the only place I know
Where you just have to wish to make it so
Let's go up on the roof

At night the stars put on a show for free
And, darling, you can share it all with me

I keep a-tellin' you

Right smack dab in the middle of town
I've found a paradise that's trouble proof (up on the roof)
And if this world starts getting you down
There's room enough for two
Up on the roof

d, thanks for bein up on the roof with me, hapi third :)

If you can’t enjoy TGIFs becoz of Saturday work, worry not coz there are things on a Friday night that can more than make up for an early Saturday work such as these…

Chicken and shrimp Diablo pasta
Cajun chicken fingers with fries
A free shot of german tequila (?)
Marjolaine cake
A sip of mocha fredoccino
a precious gift from winespirits
and the company of 5 shoelaces plus one

TGIF! :)

may 21st
hideandseek, you are exactly the opposite of your name coz you seem to be everywhere and you are seen everywhere… in imus cavite.. baguio..makati..puerto galera… blogspot and now in boracay...
hope to catch you soon.. for your treat hehe
Happy birthday! :)

im beginning to miss
her tiny pair of hands
her little ahhs
her burps, her sobs
her tickling laughter
her big and lovely eyes
and how tender it stares
her two front teeth
and how hard it bites(ouch!)
her name is mary jean louise
but we call her jenny for short
she's the home's bundle of joy
my niece
my cute little angel :)

before i always see him as a piece of a puzzle that just wont fit in. i didnt know if it was the right piece to begin with or i just got entirely lost in the puzzle. but one day i decided to drop it. we parted ways. we lost contact.

two days ago, we just spoke. it was his mom's bday and for old times' sake, i refused the lure of indifference and sent my greetings thru text. he rang to say hello. his mom says thank you and invited me to come over. asked how he was, he told me that he's leaving for the US for good. i was surprised and he sounded really excited that i couldnt help but be excited for him too. he was doing it finally. he says he will miss home and everything tied to it including me. he's finally chasing his dreams or something close to it. the day would be the 27th of this month. im happy for him. Truly happy :)

and im happy for myself too. finally, im seeing it, i can piece together the puzzle and im seeing that the piece just fits right. thank you po Lord :)

May 17th
Many years back
This day was
my lola’s bday
my aunt’s bday

Not so long ago
It too became
a friend’s bday

A year ago,
It also became
my niece’s birthday

This year
its altogether
my lola’s birthday
my aunt’s birthday
a friend’s birthday
and my niece’s birthday

all falling on
the beautiful 17th of May
Monday and surprisingly stormy!
happy birthday friend, lola, tidin, and my dear jenny!:)

surprises for the day
a helping hand from an officemate who made life easier for me (and for everyone else’s)
no reprimand from my boss over a long-overdue project
a reliable printer which printed all my 87 slides successfully (which took me half a day to download)
tuna over breakfast (my fave)
a call from a long-lost friend
an almost-done econ update
and a time to blog hehe!

Said a co-trader-turned-dear friend (a.k.a dippin dots):
live on surprises not on expectations
happy weekend! :)

tuesday.
born on may 11th
around the time of "the corrs"
life of the party.
timid and quiet except..
when awake.
the best energy drink-sub!
hehe

a week without tuesday is unimaginable
so is life without you
belated hapi burppday
tuesday!!!

rainbow.
take a little time baby
see the butterfly's colors
listen to the birds
that were sent to sing
for me and you
can you hear me?
this is such a wonderful place to be
even if there is pain now
everything will be alright
for as long as the world still turns
there will be night and day
can you believe?
there's a rainbow
always after the rain

after my "patriot days" ill never listen to this song the same way again. beautiful song.
way to go south border! :)

Stuck in a moment.
fortywinks found herself in legarda at 4am.
winespirits, along calauag quezon.
me, at cubao qc.
fortywinks should have been in cubao.
winespirits in alabang.
me in makati.
all on the early morn of may 11.
stuck but for a moment=)

fortywinks, yesterday i know you'd wish to be stuck in the day hehe hapi anniv!
winespirits, don't get stuck in this moment that we're about to lose the battle, there are other battlegrounds
same goes out for me
in the meantime (winespirits), i can see other moments that are worth stucking in, say for instance jay r. and chem hehe

Patriot.
I never considered myself a patriot. Filipino was the subject that I could fail. Tagalog movies and OPM rarely appealed to my taste. My reading the dailies was not meant to care but was merely a part of that “slightly economist upbringing” I had. And even if it merited the headlines, the country’s political affairs were the least of my concerns.

The last few days, I jolted out of myself. I was eager and defiant about saving the country. I was tearfully frustrated at some people’s loose thinking of choosing their leaders. I was dismayed to mad at how scarred idealism was. On the one hand, I was fighting the urge to give up. I was hopeful and idealistic and brave. For the first time in my life, I felt how it is to stand for something or someone you believe in. Even if the bandwagon believes otherwise, I didn’t shrink, I stayed afloat.

Yesterday, reality was starting to sink in --- uggh! Very cruel --- how easily reality can just throw away everything. I’m yielding to reality but my belief.

For now, I’m just glad that even for just a few days, I became a patriot somehow. Until then.

BIG FISH.
edward bloom meets sandra templeton.
“They say when you meet the love of your life, time stops and its true” - edward bloom

son begins to learn that extraordinary things can in fact happen, that fairy tales can exist...that there are things in life that we'll always find hard to believe.. even when its being told by someone who cannot betray us with the truth..

could it be that life is sometimes too good to be true or have we become too cynic to believe that too-good things can still come true?
glad that i am only halfway-cynic and that i still would like to believe in that time-stopping moment that edward bloom claims to be true..

Crossroads.

I am.
Choose no place to go.
Just linger on the couch.
Maybe tomorrow or a few hours later,
Something will point to one direction.
Let’s see.

My country is.
Choose no place to go
Just linger on the couch.
Maybe the 10th of May,
Something will point to one direction.
Let’s see.

They say when you know exactly what’s going to happen, you rarely look forward to it. That’s why we show up late for meetings or appointments, we dread routines, and there’s hardly any anticipation for school or work. The element of certainty makes anything mundane. I guess what “joey” said about uncertainty being the thrill of any experience is true.

Schooled and trained in the area of finance, I never thought I was going to get into a different industry. Research and product development. What was I to know? First, I had nothing to show for it. Clueless.

Nike’s swoosh says “just do it” So I did. Never mind how uncertain the days to follow are. Found solace in the thrill. But to begin with, wasn’t exactly that, that got me here?

The thrill of uncertainty. But for how long? Maybe not long enough.

Until then, I’ll just have to cross my fingers, maybe then, uncertainty will find me again.

no plans
I can’t recall an instance where I actually planned and saw that plan gradually come to life. Except for short weekend trips and craved-for shoes or tops, planning to me is alien.

What has been in my life and what is, were all part of what I considered impulse decisions. They did not form part of an exquisite road map that consists of clear-cut directions or signs. They were merely the most convenient and logical decisions to make at the time. Sort of a to-do list, have you done yours today?

My photoframed image of Van Gogh’s painting given by a dear friend was sitting on the floor for two days, thinking it was just one of the rental bills.

The green mango I so eagerly demanded and happened to be left-over from an out-of-town trip turned a bit yellowish to rotten after being untouched for a week.

I crave for a thing and when I finally get it, ends up unnoticed. Then I crave for another one and who knows if the same thing happens. The reverse cycle of irony is that, something or someone seems so dear but as soon as its gone, that’s when the real price surfaces. True for me too.

if there were laws to follow on how to live life and anyone who dares break it has his dear life to pay for it, all of us would be gone by now. glad that there were no rules to follow, no laws to go by..and all us can live life whether it is with reason or without...

Perfect Reason
by aleward

You are the reason
For me to write a song
And you are the reason
For making me smile everyday
And I wish you could feel my presence
When you’re alone

You bring light to my way
And you are the reason for saving my drowning soul
And every place I go
I always think of you

If I were an angel
I would give up my immortality
I’d die with you
Coz I’m here for you are
…my perfect reason

You’re sitting right beside me
And as I look into your eyes
There’s something in you
More than words can say
And as I make my journey
It’s so nice to think
That you’re here with me

the beach always gives a natural high, way refreshing, way invigorating..

be happy!